“Healthy" innovation: putting patients before profits

Wednesday, 28.09.2016 | 14:45 - 17:15 | Room

Organised by Open Society Foundations in collaboration with EPHA and EUPHA

This session will be a highly interactive discussion between moderators, panelists and the audience. It aims to articulate a common diagnosis of the inefficiencies and challenges of the current pharmaceutical innovation system, and outline possible remedies and alternatives based on successes and good practices in areas such as neglected diseases.

Despite a narrative of unprecedented medical progress, there is increasing evidence that the current market-driven model of pharmaceutical innovation is deficient. Even with growing research and development spending – including from the public – critical medical needs remain unmet, while the large majority of new medicines developed have little or no added therapeutic value to what already exists. Learning from successful experience with non-market driven innovation, we must fundamentally re-think how medical innovation is organised and financed to reinstate effective and “healthy” innovation that benefits patients, and is affordable and sustainable for society.

Part 1| Diagnosis – Has evidence-based medicine been hijacked?

The regulator’s perspective: Is faster access to new health technologies really what we need? Where is this road leading to?

Beate Wieseler, Head of the Drug Assesment Department, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG)

The negotiator’s perspective: Is affordability feasible?

Maurice Galla, Directorate for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Netherlands

Towards a public interest oriented medical innovation system in Europe